The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the events of Vietnam, Watergate and other historical events unfold through the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.

Storyline

Blondie (The Good) (Clint Eastwood) is a professional gunslinger who is out trying to earn a few dollars. Angel Eyes (The Bad) (Lee Van Cleef) is a hitman who always commits to a task and sees it through, as long as he is paid to do so. And Tuco (The Ugly) (Eli Wallach) is a wanted outlaw trying to take care of his own hide. Tuco and Blondie share a partnership together making money off of Tuco's bounty, but when Blondie unties the partnership, Tuco tries to hunt down Blondie. When Blondie and Tuco come across a horse carriage loaded with dead bodies, they soon learn from the only survivor, Bill Carson (Antonio Casale), that he and a few other men have buried a stash of gold in a cemetery. Unfortunately, Carson dies and Tuco only finds out the name of the cemetery, while Blondie finds out the name on the grave. Now the two must keep each other alive in order to find the gold. Angel Eyes (who had been looking for Bill Carson) discovers that Tuco and Blondie met with Carson and knows ...Written by
Jeremy Thomson

Taglines:

Genres:

Certificate:

Parents Guide:

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tuco's line "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk!" was improvised by Eli Wallach, which apparently caused the whole crew to burst out laughing. Eli was a little perplexed because he thought that what he said was actually pretty sensible. That is, he didn't mean it as a joke, but his delivery and the look on his face made it side-splittingly hilarious. See more »

Goofs

When the POW's march into camp, they cause the short bridge to bounce violently. Marching troops should always be ordered to stop marching when on a bridge because the rhythmic vibrations can cause resonance that can potentially damage, or even lead to the complete collapse of the structure. This is why the bridge into the camp bounces so dramatically. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Stevens:
You're... from Baker?
[Angel Eyes is silent, eating a bowl of stew and staring at him]
Stevens:
Tell Baker that I told him all that I know already and I want to live in peace, understand? That it's no use to go on tormenting me! I know nothing at all about that case of coins.
[Angel Eyes stops eating and looks interested]
Stevens:
Now that gold has disappeared, but if he'd listened we could have avoided this altogether. I went to the Army court; there were no witnesses. They couldn't uncover any more. I...
See more »

Alternate Versions

The original German theatrical version has been strongly cut. In 1995 it has been aired on German TV as a 167 minute "Director's Cut", with cuts restored and scenes added from Italian-only version (the ones included on the US DVD as bonus), these fragments redubbed. See more »

Soundtracks

User Reviews

I'll keep this brief: This is simply one of the most entertaining and best looking westerns ever. Director Sergio Leone's unique use of the camera - long, uninterrupted shots in wide angle alternating with extreme close-ups - and Ennio Morricone's unique, wildly inventive soundtrack are blended to perfection. The career-making performances by Eli Wallach (hilarious), Lee Van Cleef (chilling) and Clint Eastwood (cool) are nothing short of iconic, and the film's finale is so good it will send shivers of cinematic joy down your spine. It's a movie of epic proportions; it's funny and violent, but underneath it all there is a strong anti-war message. It's a cinematic masterpiece and one of the most influential movies of all time. Oh, and it's also tons of fun, and you should see it on the biggest screen possible. 10 stars out of 10.

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

100 of 121 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this